The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, September 25, 1903, Page 5

THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1903. RADICAL DEFECT IS DISCOVERE CITY SEWER SYSTEM INVOLVING DIRE CON MAHONY LIKES T0 HOLD OFFIGE e i He Desires to Remain County Clerk Two Years More. RS Al g Most of His Deputies Refuse to Further His Ambition With Their Cash. P The fact that A B. Mahony is very fond »f County Clerk, despite ce his election he has re- s of praise for his | ducting it, has long been also been the fact that he | make & battle to keep the r four years. His frequent | to test the validity of the law | ares that a County Clerk shall id office for but two years cul- vesterday in the filing of a suit injunction restraining the Election sioners and Registrar Walsh from | any of the city’s funds in mak- | preparation for the election of a | Mahony at the coming elec- a flavor of sincerity to the e the expense the court is asked to prevent the city officlals from | expending any money in furthering the of those who at the recent con- were nominated for the offices of t Attorney, Cc and g & successor t To a on. the ac personal frie of th ¥ one who, according to a statemern by Mehony, is indi nt because the law cuts short Maho there are no grounds of the comp t except to the city, it is expected | comes before Judge | of the costs of the | bothering Ma-i t when he an- » of fighting to nomi d by him as | and deputies | t and dig into | keep him where | McKenna, & hench- | Clerk, was sent upon | e to feel the finan- His reception was ts. In fact ¥'s tenure . xpected re- red McKenna's zeal. see abou the as- s f ¥ refused to “put that refused was aug- er the clerks had a chance to s0 Mahony was com- his chances of col- | o said they would 4 the hope that if his the other officers whom n will affect will help 1sel fees riff George Hare, in the ab- sackfann, stated yes- that his chief is not a party to the Sradley. Hare said that | been. importuned for the ths to contribute toward the ense of bringing the , but had re- A km: believegethat the char- | he term of his office at two that he had t been ding the bring- | g of the sult to determine the legal term 1 was electe Recorder,” said God- x only ter I had pledged alle- nce to the ¢ or, which I regard as of the municipality. I llegiance and have no court rulfg on the rington is not a par- d yesterday that he WITNESSES ARE SURE PREJUDICE IS DEAD Kern County Men Declare That Hulse Can Have a Fair Trial. BAKERSFIELD, Scpt. 24.—The motion for a change of venue in the case of the t Alfred W. Hulse, charged der of Officers Packagd and up this morning in the Su- ges Bennett and Mahone cen witnesses from all unty were closely cross- s to the prevailing sentiment r e communities in regard | nnocence or guilt of the defendant | r or not a fair and impartial 1ld be had in Kern County 1o With a few exceptions the witnesses de- clared such could and would be had. All | agreed that th ad been much excite. | ment at the t of the shooting—some | bad heard loose ik of lynching, but| nothing of that d was attempted, and the re entirely It of momentary pas- | subsided. After the | rt announced that the be taken under advisement | n rendered on Monday morn- now next. ——— e.—— CHILDREN DIE AFTER EATING GREEN ALMONDS Ptomaine Poisoning Results From Consumption of Unripe Fruit in an Orchard. WOODLAND, Sept. 24.—Vera and Mil- aged 4 and 3 years, respec- died yesterday evening from pto- poisoning due to eating green al- t a ranch near this city. Since =t Friday physiclans were almost con- their bedside, but all medical re In vatn. Vera died at 4 A her sister followed her fifteen er. ed were children of Mr. and ould. They will be buried to- w ne casket. b iless Man Ends His Life. N Sept. 24—The dead upposed to be A. L. Mil- laborer, was this morning | t Lake Park, where he had «If with a revolver during the » bullet holes were found in be and a revolver was his hand. From papers in ket it was learned that he u a member of the Maguon, IIl., { Knights of Pythias and that in raveling card of the I O. O. F. issued him from the Jefferson, e. The man was apparently a from consumption, and was pen- Gould, —_—— Buy your watches at Lundy’s, 4 Third sireet and 752 Market street. = | 1t becomes a publie depression of the sewers below the city base there is certain to Tidal Water Flow Will Back Up Sewage. Pipe in Business Center Below the Tide. HE astonishing discovery has been made by The Call that there is a radical defect in the official plan for a sewer sy: tem for the city of San Fran- cisco, which is the basis of the proposed issue of sewer bonds to the ex- tent of several millions of dollars, A care- ful investigation establishes this fact, and duty to make the facts known, plainly and clearly, so that | y may be fully understood by all citi- ystem shall be constructed ed by the city authorities it is ascertained the great Point main sewer, which is to drain the greater part of the city, will, for a long ance, twice every day In the year be ooded by the ordinary high tides and the tide waters will run twice every twenty- four hours through the sewer to the jun tion of Sixtheand Howard streets. Every extra high tide, such as is common at a | certain season, will back up in the sewer es far as Tenth and Harrison streets The business section of the city is to | be drained by.the North Point main | sewer. The lands to be served by this sewer include also the Islais Creek dis- trict up to Ocean View station, the eatire Hayes Valley district, the Park Pan- handle district, the entire Mission district west of Harrison street and up to Twenty-sixth street and the entire south- erly slopes of Pacific Heights clear down to the line of the sewer. The North Point main sewer is the principal key to the entire proposed new sewer system. Instead of running off sew- age from the higher levels to the water the plan has been bascd upon running everything down to zero and there trying to handle it. This is as if a sixteen-story bullding were to be drained first into the basement and then an effort should be made to get rid of the incubus unncces- sarily brought there, CROWDS —SEWAGE BACK. Inflow From Bay Interferes With | Operation of Drain. Official maps that have been consulted show that the North Point main sewer is S0 far belgfv the clty base line that twice daily it will Sixth and Howard strects. During the periods of tidal flow the sewage will crowded backward. The gases in the sewer will be forced ocat through cess- pools and into dwellings, corrupting the air and bringing diseases. In no spirit of hostility does The Call this morning direct attention to the per- tinent facts that constitute the very core of the sewer question. The astonishing discovery, epitomized in the foregoing, cf such great importance to the people, is given publicity as soon zs possible. Many taxpavers, learming the facts, will find herein a timely and ncces By the facts alons can this article bs judged. It cannot but apprar tha: sewer system as designed 1s wrong in con- ception. There is yet time for deliberate and sober consideration Attention 1s invited to the statements that follow, all of which are based upon officlal records, inc'uding the profiles to be found {a the “report on a system of sewerage for the city or Francisco,” which has sanction and cn the pubiications in whl the city base line is set down. The clty base coincides with the tops: of the wharves on the city front. Nearly four miles from the point where the outlet of the North Point main sewer is to be, or a distance of about 20,000 feet, namely at Division and Eighteenth streets, near the junction of Treat avenue and Eighteenth street, it is’ ascertained from the profiles furnished by the City Engineer in the report on a system of wers, that there the bottom of the sewer will be two feet and seven iInches below the city base, or two feet and seven inches below the tops of the wharves on the city front. At the crossing of Howard and Sixth streets, where the grade of the%treet is ten feet above the city base, the bottom of the main sewer is planned to lle six- teen feet and nine inches below the street croseing, or six feet and nine inches below the city base, which means that it is about the level of ordinary high tide. An extreme high tide runs about two feet and three Inches higher than the ordinary high tide. This would put the bottom of the sewer at Sixth and Howard streets two feet and three Inches below the level of an extreme high tide. Since the original plan for the North Point main was made it has been deter- mined to change the route for a part of the distance. It was originally intended to have the main sewer along Montgom- ery street. Upon further investigation, as set up in a supplementary report that was filed last July with the Board of Supervisors, “it has been found prefer- able to adopt a route from Howard street along Second street to Market, a short distance on Market street to Sansome and along Sansome street to the northern water front, northwesterly to the point of outfall heretofore selected, as shown on the plans.” This change causes the North Point main to run under Sansome street through the wholesale section Instead of through Montgomery street. Attention is called to this in all fairness, as the pro- files supplied to the public by the City Engineer apply to Montgomery street, in- stead of Sansome. The question of the effectiveness of the North Point main sewer is no way concerned with this change, as the grades are only so slight- Iy different as to make no essential dfi- ference in considering the inflow of the tidal waters and the backing up of all sewage during such twice dally run. BELOW THE BASE LINE. At Sixth and Howard Streets Oppos- ing Currents Will Mest. At Howard and Second streets the bot- tam of the proposed sewer will be about nive feet below the city base, or two feet ani three inches below ordinary high tide, At the crossing of California and San- some, streets, in the very heart of the banking and wholesale section of San Franclsco, the bottom of the North Point main will be ten feet below the city base, or thret feet and (,ree inches below or- dinary %igh tide. At Sapsome and Jackson streets the North | be flooded by the tide to | be | ry warning. | the | T is ascertained that if the plans for a sewer system for this city,jforming the basis_ of the proposed sewer bond issue, are carried to accomplishment, owing to the serious daily interference owing to the inflow of the tides twice every twenty-four hours. While the tides are rising, the great North Point sewer, the main key to the entire system, will be practically useless for hours. Sewage will be backed up twice daily. Official figures, maps and records prove the accuracy of these statements. g o noioad A—Oneida avenue. B—Beginning of tunnel. C—End of tunnel. D—Ejghteenth and Division_ streets. main sewer, at a on the city front. sewer will be 16 feet and 9 Inches below sewer will be, at its bottom, ten feet and nine inches below the city base, or four feet below ordinary high tide. ‘Where Sansome and Chestnut streets cross the bottom of the maln will be twelve feet below the city base, or five feet and three inches below ordinary high tide. . On the water front, at the crossing of Dunont street. the bottom of the main Here the bottom of the stance off 20,000 feet from the sewer out- Jet at North Beach, is 2 feet and 7 inches below the wharf tops E—Tenth and Harrison streets, to which point an extra high tide will back up in the main sewer, blocking the flow of sewage. F—Howard and Sixth streets. Here the bottom of the main 6 feet and 9 inches below the city base, it is about at the level or ordinary high tide. LA ] [=2 [ o0 0 ) ‘:\ - i e iz vZ18L, ), s . Map Showing Route of Main Sewer and Key to Points of Great Interest. G—Second and Howard streets. Here the sewer will be 2 feet and 3 inches below ordinary high tide. H—Sansome and Callfornia streets. main sewer will here be 3 feet and 3 inches lower than the or- dinary high tide level. 1—Sansome and Jackson' streets. T The bottom of | the The bottom of ;the sewer is here 10 feet and 9 inches below -the city base and 4 feet street. the street crossing, or which means that ordinary high tide. will be found to be 12 feet 11 inches be- low the city base and 6 feet 2 inches be- low the ordinary high tide. # From the foregoing showing it will ap- pear that twice every twenty-four hours, as the tide rises, the tidal water wiil en- ter the sewer at North Beach and will run at ordinary high tide as far up as Sixth and Howard streets, where at will meet the sewage flow. Extra high tides ¥ below the level of ordinary high tide. J—End of tunnel, planned to run’ from Pacific to Union K—Outlet of main sewer at North Beach, 12 feet and 11 inches below the eity base. This is 6 feet and 6 Inches below — e 3 will flow to Harrison and Tenth streets. A stream six feet deep will enter the main sewer at North Beach, the main being there eight feet in diameter, and will flow into the sewer against the current’ of sewage that tries to come out, and this inflow will reach, twice every day, to Sixth and Howard streets. : Naturally, as the tide to rise, the flow into the sewer in direction -+ Twice Every Day Blockade Is Certain. Ay Menace to Health of- Municipality in Sight. e . g opposite to the direction of the current of sewage will produce In the sewer calm water and the heavy particles in the gew- age will be deposited. This will go on during the entire perfod of the inflow of the rising tides. As the extra high tide runs more than two feet above the or- dinary high tide, and the sewer at North Beach has an outlet of eight feet in | diameter, the sewer mouth will be com- | pletely filled by such tide and there will be an absolute blockade of the entire out- let. Meanwhile the tidal water will run up as far as Tenth and Harrison streets. All accumulated sewer gases wiil be driven out through the cesspools at street | corners or into the houses of citizens. In addition to the tidal difficulty in- volved in the sewerage system plan that underlies the present proposition there is another serious physical condition to be considered. For many years to come, | and Indecd until the enormous drainage areas that have been herein enumerated | are covered with bitumen and cement and houses, the great sand wash into the main. will be a source of troubie. Espe- | cially in winter will there be an immense inflow of sand. FALL IS VERY SLIGHT. Grade Averages Less Than Three Feet to Mile of Pipes. | The fall for the North Point main through its course of nearly four miles, and that largely in a populous district and through the principal business part of the city, is only one foot for every 1900 feet, or less than three feet to the mile. It | is very questionable whether with that | low grade the sewage, largely mixed with | sand during the winter, will make fits | way to the North Beach outlet, crowded back twice every tidal waters. In consideration of the great sum of money to be voted for the proposed sewer system, and not less on account of vital considerations of health and comfort, the earnest attention of the business com- munity and of all good citizens is earn- estly invited. The sources of information are officlal and open to all. What is| meant by flooding the main sewer with tidal water out to Sixth and Howard | streets twice every day in the year and | checking the flow of sewage In a vast | drainage area during the entire periods of | rising tides is easily apparent to every | one. To extend this flow by an extra high tide to Tenth and Harrison streets is | even more serious, although more excep- | tional; but high tides are inevitable every year and the effect of this must be co: sidered in thig. connection. The gravity of the questions involved is made more striking by the fact that the sewer sys- tem is to be put in for a long series of years and the difficulties that inhere in the proposed system will be permanent. The accuracy of the statements concern- ing the flooding of the main sewer by the tides twice each day cannot be questioned successfully. ‘Water seeks its own level. The bot- tom of the main sewer is in many places below the level of ordinary Hhigh tide. Official records to be found at the City Hall furnish the basis for each averment ccncerning the main sewer in its rela- tion to the level of the tides. While it is a disaster to incur a deb! of millions of dollars for something that is unsatisfactory and inadequate, there is also another side to the matter, of pos- sibly greater gravity: If the bonds should be issued and the new sewer system should be established and it should then appear that the work had been performed without proper consideration of all the difficulties, and that they who had ad- vocated it zealously, with sincere desire to promote the public good, had been as the blind following the blind, future pro- gress might be hampered badly by the distrust naturally following so unfortu- nate an experience. The sewer cuestion has been studied with great care by The Call. The oppor- tunity is afforded for all citizens to do the same in their own behalf. To render every point clear to the read- er, a map is herewith published, with a key that shows clearly the nature of the discoveries made: also their application. On the map the solid black lines indi- cate the sewer. The dotted lines show where the two tunnels connecting with the main sewer are to be placed. One glance at the map will show that the greater portion of San Francisco, as trib- utary territofy, is immediately concerned. being | day by the | R e e e OF INTEREST TO PEOPLE OF THE PACIFIC COAST Several Changes Are Made in the Postal Service and Army Or- ders Issued. WASHINGTON, Sept. 24.—Postoffice estab- lished: Oregon—Berkeley, Umatilla County, Thomas C. Gettings, postmaster. Postmasters commissioned: California—Thomas B. Chap- man, Rivera. Oregon—Lydia J. Dascomb, Ruckles. Fourth-class postmasters appointed: Cali- fornia—S. H. Lucas Cuyamaca, San Diego County, Lucas, resigned; Ella B. Kinton, Kern County, vice Charles A, Graves, resigned: J. Q. Ayars, San Antonlo, San Bernamino County, vice Stephen Mahood, resigned. Oregon—James B_Stratton, Nye_ Umatilla County, vice Henry Wright, re- signed; R. A, Hutchins, Russellville, Muitno- mah County, vice T. L. D. Thomas, resigned. Rural free delivery will be estabiished No- vember 2 at Ceres. Stanislaus County, and Toluca, Los Angeles County, Army orders—Lieutenant Colonel George H. Torney, deputy surgeon general, is to take charge of the medical supply depot, San Frarcisco, relleving Lieutenant Colonel Louls Maus, who is transferred to Fort Riley, Kan.: Mejor George M. Wells, surgeon, goes from Fort Bayard N. to 'San M., ines. Marshal May Have “Red Shirt.” SACRAMENTO, Sept. 24.—The City ‘Marshal at Jacksonville, Tex., to-day tel- egraphed Governor Pardee he is certain he has “Red Shirt"” Gordon, the notorious convict who escaped from Folsom prison in July last, in custody. He says the prisoner’s appearance tallies with the de- scription of Gordon issued by the peni- tentiary officlals. Warden Wilkinson be- lieves Gordon has been caught. He has sent the convict's photograph to Texas. Interested in Frame Pictures? If so, K through our framed picture department and see how beautiful and attractive the new pictures are and af prices. V-II. & such_moderate Sanbern, Co.. 741 Market st. - | without examination. | spectal | the | Deputy Surveyor in charge of D IN THE PROPOSED SEQUENCES SPECIAL FAVOR LIMIT DEFINED Secretary of Treasury Calls Attention to an Abuse. g Orders Inspection Courtesies Confined to Proper Officials. Custom-house 4 society was perturbe yesterday over the receipt of a circular from Leslie M. Shaw, Secretary of the Treasury, limiting the extension of spe- clal courtesies to arriving passengers. The favored passengers are foreign am- bassadors, ministers, charges d'affaires, secretarfes, naval, military and other at- taches of embassies, legations and high commissioners and similar representa- tives of this government abroad return- ing from their missions, all of whom are entitled by international usage to the free entry of the baggage and effects of themselves, their families and suites, Added to the list are such high officials of this and foreign governments as shall be the subjects of instructions from the Treasury Department. in the case of invalids and their com- panions, and of persons arriving in charge of their dead, or summoned home In haste by news of affiiction or disaster, or because of other imperative emer- gency, instructions will be issued to facil- itate the landing and examination of their baggage, but such instructions will be construed as only relieving such per- sors from waiting thetr turn in line. Their bagzage will be carefully examined and duties in full collected, as though no favor had been shown. The word “‘courte- y" has grown to have a meaning never intended, and its use must be avoided in issuance of personal consideration cards. The baggage of no person shall be ex- pedited, and no spectal favors extended, except In writing, signed either by the Collector, and countersigned by the Sur- veyor, where there is one, or by the Sec- retary or Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, except in instances coming | clearly within the provisions of the fore- going paragraphs, and then only by the joint action of the Deputy Collector and the pier, which action, together with the reasons therefor, shall be reported in writing by such officers, respectively, to the Collector and Surveyor within twenty-four hours thereafter. Any violation of this rule will be ground for instant dismissal All ladies traveling alone shall haw precedence in the egxamination of b gage, and the first inspectors in line ir- respective of personality shall be as- signed to this duty. Protection tg the public revenues ren- ders it necessary to discontinue the issu- ance of passes on revenue vessels, except for cause, and no ome is autHorized to grant such permits, except the Secretary. Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, or the Collector and Surveyor, jointly. 4 Custom-house 'officials said yesterday that the circular was not aimed at San Francisco, but that it had been issued because of certain abuses practiced in the port of New York —_— e.—— AGED MAN IS HURLED FROM VEHICLE TO GROUND Wealthy Pioneer of Sonoma County Painfully Injured While Driv- ing From Town. SANTA ROSA, Sept. 24—While driving from this city to the home of his son at Mount Olivet Thursday afterncom, L. S. B. Slusser, an aged man, was thrown from his vehicle and sustained a fracture of the right thigh. The injury was the result of a runaway, in which Slusser was pitched headiong from the vehicle. He had been in this city on business and was returning to his son’s home. Slusser is one of the wealthy men of Sonoma County—where he has resided over fifty years. He is probably the old- est ploneer in this section of the State, both In point of residence in the State and in the years he has lived, being over ninety years of age. The injured man was brought to this city late this after- noon for medical attention. — e—————— New Theater for Santa Rosa. SANTA ROSA, Sept. 24.—Santa Rosa is to have a new theater. This afternoon a lease was signed by the officials of the Woodmen's Hall Association, granting the premises now in course of conmstruc- tion here to the Novelty Theater Com- pany for a period of five years, with ap option on three additional years. The lease provides that the lessees carry on a clean and moral show, with no drinking or smoking to be allowed on the premises. It is the intention of the lessees to give two performances each evening in their theater. A\ modern theatrical front will be placed in the building, and it will be equipped with the latest appliances for heating and lighting. —————— — Zine Found in Del Norte. GRANTS PASS, Or., Sept. 24.—A rich zinc prospect has been discovered and is being developed in the French Hill dis- trict of Del Norte County, California, a few miles south from the Oregon line. The ledge is over 100 feet in width and can be traced by the outcroppings for a distance of 500 feet. A shaft has been sunk on the ledge to a depth of sixty feet and a crosscut driven in from this level to ascertain the width of the ledge. This crosscut passes through twenty-five feet of ore that carries 75 per cent value in zine, with a falr showing of copper and gold. 4 —_——————— Convict Captors May Wait. SACRAMENTO, Sept. 24.—Unless the State Board of Prison Directors will agree to pay the rewards offered by the State for the capture of the conviets who made the late break from the Folsom State prison the captors will wait an appropria. tion by the next session of the Legisia- ture for their money. Upon investigation it has been found that only $3 of the money In the reward fund is available this year. The matter will be decided at the next meeting of the State Board of Fxaminers. o5 PRI WA T Smaller Hop Crop in Oregon. PORTLAND, Or., Sept. 24.—Baling of the Oregon hop ¢rop is under way and indicates a yield this year of about $0.000 bales, compared with 5,000 bales produced last year. The quality is uneven, 2) per cent being perfect hops, the remainder more or less tainted with mold. The market is firm at' 25 eents for choice. Nearly 1000 bales*of prime to choice hops were sold to-day at 24 to 25 cents. Trunks and Suit Cases. We give the best value in trunks, suit cases traveling supplies in the Look over our leather goods de~ city. RS o™ Market st o